Oh bright new day, we're moving away. We're starting all over again!

Wow! Nearly 6 months has passed since my last post and boy how much has changed in that time. Let’s get up to speed. I have had a whirlwind move from the laidback, sun cream wearing days of island living to being squashed against the window of a tube door in a position usually only achieved my circus people. Yes… London!

After coming back and discovering to my horror that being a fairly well qualified, presentable, experienced, work ready person meant claiming jobseekers harder! It actually amazes me how all these people manage it. If only I would have hung around outside Job Centre Plus in a tracksuit, a Greggs dummy and a spot of Elizabeth Duke then my life would have been a lot simpler and strangely financially better off. Instead, I turn up in a full suit! Damn it, alarm bells should have started ringing when the security guard asked if he could help me and when I explained I was here for an interview, asked me what company I was from! Mistaken for the interviewer! Anyway turns out that finding yourself any kind of work, even a week’s casual work puts you on the bottom of the pile and you have outwitted the system actually securing work for yourself without being asked! And then when you have your first meeting to discuss your progress and claim your allowance, to inform the Assistant hat you have found work in London with a university! Well that just takes the biscuit!

I digress.

I am in London after a bit of a whirlwind move and managed to find a rather nice flat and a good job amidst the backdrop of rioting. Hmmm. Note to self “Avoid getting mugged”, whoops, too late, already happened.

Yes, walking home and being surrounded by four guys in hoods what was I to do, other than hand over my “Ashamed of your mobile?” mobile phone and my wallet (which did need actually need a good emptying out if truth be told) and having my watch and ring taken from my wrist and finger respectively. (The ring which I was too ashamed to admit to the WPC was actually a bit of vintage Elizabeth Duke circa 2002) The last thing to be taken was my bag. A red Dunlop bag that I was rather keen on. HaHA! Little did the criminals know that I was secretly trying to educate them as they will have found two copies of Anna Karenina within as well as a DVD (Eat, Pray, Love) (I know, hardly reaffirms my tough appearance) and my rusting, yes rusting, IPod complete with Frank Sinatra and Glee.

Well, that’s chapter one for now… more to follow. (I promise!)

Progress

Progress! This last week I have actually done most of the things on my list. I have started filling a bottle of water to take to school with me and then between every class I drink. The intake of water is definitely on the rise. The only problem now is that the trips to the loo are also on the rise and I am wondering if I seem like I have some sort of small bladder problem to the rest of the teachers. Incidentally, my exercise is improving, not just from my frequent lavatory visits and all that excess walking but I have started dancing n school. Not randomly in the corridors I hasten to add, but rather, teaching the students some dance in PE lessons and also they are teaching me! Bonus, a free workout and a new skill!

Macaroons? What is the sudden fashion for them? Did the Great British Bake Off spur the trend or what? I understand their appeal (nicely coloured, small, a good present idea, different flavours) but really, don’t people want an actual piece of cake and not a bit of chocolate cream between two pieces of air. Perhaps they are supposed to be for the diet conscious so it might be advisable to buy shares in Slimming World now.... hmmm. I wonder whether they come under a red or green day. They are mostly made of egg, so does that mean a red day? But then you only use the white so maybe green? Note to anyone on Slimming World: Check before you eat! So, I thought I would give it a go. They seem easy enough for Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry. I soon realised that without an electric whisk it is hard work! Mrs Stinchcoombe’s voice is in my head (from food technology class) as I’m whisking “If your arm’s not aching you’re not done whisking.” “Is it ready Miss?” “Is your arm aching?” “No” “Then it’s not ready!” So I carry on whisking. Oh no, problem, I only have liquid food colouring, not powdered. Will it work? I think not. By the way, food colouring is like gold dust in the Canary Islands apparently as very few shops sell it. Like reasonably priced toiletries and bagels, they are in the distant future for behind the times Spain!

Anyway, I digress. Turns out liquid food colouring is definitely a no no as it made the mixture, which once formed lovely soft peaks, a runny mess. Perfect for pancakes, not so much for macaroons. Okay, so the first time was a failure, next time will be better.

After a pretty uneventful week, on Saturday I ventured to my friends’ house for dinner. It was like returning home again and that warm waft of nostalgia and relief enveloped me. I took along a bit of a homemade rice pudding or Arroz de Ross (Arohh de Rohh in Canaries). Well, I couldn’t very well take the macaroons! I got there at about 8.45 and was greeting by the usual friendly faces and a mountain of food. Yes, to my delight, there was a trestle table buffet! Only not with the sausage rolls and party rings, but different cheeses, olive, Spanish omelette, bread, cured ham and homemade chorizo. I could not stop eating it. I try not to think where it comes from or how it is made (even though I have seen photos) but the taste is too delicious to leave it on the plate. I also tried some genuine Russian savoury crepes. (Yes I know crepe is French but I don’t know the Russian equivalent). The evening was great and in fact I got home at a very respectable 4 o’clock in the morning. God bless Spanish time!

Well, the start of the week and already made and eaten a flapjack, sorted out more papers in the department and attempted a new batch of macaroons. They are not looking too bad at the moment but probably best to wait until they’re finished. What’s that saying about counting chickens?

So much for Resolutions!

Why do I do it? Just as expected, I have spectacularly failed my new year's resolutions. Well, I have drunk slightly more water than before and cut sugar from my tea. So whilst not a complete disaster I have neglected the two most important: a) keeping in contact with friends, and b) updating this lovely blog. Oh well, 8 months to make up for it and then I can make some more realistic resolutions.

Lots has happened since the last post. Here is a very quick summary:

Dressed up as Woody the Cowboy from Toy Story in an attempt to promote English through film; got hit on by a traffic warden whilst dressed as Woody even though I still had to pay the fine; Had my first visitor, Bronwyn, with whom I circumnavigated the entire of Gran Canaria in the space of three days; got a haircut from a hairdressers where I came out with more cut than hair; booked into a spa hotel to discover half of the facilities were in the nudist section of the hotel, something that the website kindly failed to point out; dressed up as Danny from Grease to go out during the craziness that is carnival week; spent too much in the sales and even more in the second sales including three coats, two jackets, countless t-shirts, all perfect if I had a limitless luggage allowance on my return; had my second visitors, my mum and dad, who I took to all the best restaurants I knew; island hopped to both Lanzarote and Fuerteventura care of Binter Canarias cheap flights; flown home for an interview that never happened; taught ballroom dancing and watched the royal wedding in 30 degree heat whilst eating a proper fried breakfast.

Phew! That was quite a mouthful but there was a lot to catch up on. Okay so this week I am going to be better. Drinking water, doing exercise, updating my blog and keeping up to date with friends.  Oh and I should probably get out of the habit of writing in lists too!

New Year's Resolutions

Well, here we are again!

After a delightful Christmas break I find myself back in the island, exchanging snow for sun and earmuffs for sunglasses. I must say, it is nice not to feel cold once again although I wouldn’t have missed wrapping up warm and sitting next to the open fire for the world.

Well, my break started with slight diversion. Instead of landing in Cardiff, we landed in Bristol due to the inclement weather after an aborted landing in Cardiff. Still, home safe and sound and looking forward to the Big Apple.

New York was out of this world and I will live there at some point on the future. Of all the places I have visited, San Francisco and New York are two of only a few places I could live. I suppose I need money first!

Anyway, back to the Island, life is flowing pretty smoothly and it feels, two weeks in, like I was never away or had such wonderful adventures or such cold weather.

School has started again and I seem to be getting more involved already than I have previously. The teachers seem to be giving me more responsibility or rather trusting my judgement more and I have a renewed interest in working to make a difference. Something I have noticed, however, is the shocking pronunciation of a lot of the students. This is my next challenge. Yes, I know all objectives should be SMART but for the life of me, and I’m sure to the dismay of my ex business studies teacher, I can’t remember what they all mean. By the end of February I aim to be hearing no more “Free-ends” (friends) or “Ehh-peaking” (speaking) or any other such atrocities to the ear. Probably best then if I stop imitating them and start talking properly myself!

There also seems to be a lot happening in the next few months and it appears that I will find myself at the end of my contract before I know it. It has definitely been different this time. The pressure has been off me to learn Spanish and in fact I am surprised by just how much Spanish I know. I still need to push myself to speak on every occasion I can just to get my fluency tip-top but it is definitely more laid back. Perhaps I’m just becoming more Spanish.

New Year’s resolutions have not started so great but then they never seem to when you aim to do everything in the first week. I am aiming to get fit, drink more water and cut down on both caffeine and sugar, write more on my blog and keep in contact with my free-ends. SO the fitness part has not started too well at home. The running and rollerblading I promised to do religiously at least 3 times a week has fallen slightly by the wayside but on the upside I did do three PE classes in one day. (not just teach, actually do sport)...... I’ll wait while you recover from that shocking fact and equally reassure you that there was not one single note form my mother in sight to excuse me. The caffeine and sugar I have forgone until February to make it more achievable. As of the blog, well this is my first post since November but hopefully one of many more to follow. Any friends reading this may have to take this as keeping in contact as you know how pants I am at actually replying to a text message. Take this as progress.

Let’s see what this week brings!